Oct. 27, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Kyle Martin homered, Tanner English reached base four times and scored a pair of runs and four of six Garnet pitchers did not allow a run as the Garnet squad defeated Black 5-3 on Sunday afternoon to sweep the Garnet & Black World Series at Carolina Stadium.

Tied 2-2 entering the top of the seventh inning, Garnet looked to make a move as Jordan Gore walked with one out followed by a two-out hit by pitch that put Tanner English on base. With two outs and runners on first and second, a hard grounder by Elliott Caldwell got past Gamecock shortstop DC Arendas and into center field to score Gore. With runners on the corners, Garnet employed the double steal then and English scored from third to home to increase the advantage to a pair of runs. Jae Roberts added a RBI single in the top of the eighth inning for Garnet to increase the lead to 5-2. Black scored in the bottom of the ninth on a two-out RBI single by Patrick Harrington. Harrington however would be thrown out at second trying to extend his hit into a double to end the game and preserve the Garnet victory.

Martin hurled two scoreless innings for the Garnet team. Freshman right-handers Tyler Haswell and Jackson Smith also each threw two scoreless innings. Junior right-hander Kris Nelson added a scoreless inning as well.

Gore went 2-for-3 with a walk to lead the Garnet team at the plate. Max Schrock reached base three times and had two hits with Joey Pankake going 2-for-3 with two walks as well to lead the Black team at the plate. Arendas finished with three hits also for Black.

Garnet broke ahead 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Tanner English drew a one-out walk, stole second base and scored on Elliot Caldwell’s RBI base hit up the middle.

Black answered in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead. Max Schrock reached base with a one-out single, went to second on a passed ball and advanced on Joey Pankake’s one-out base hit. With runners on the corners, Schrock and Pankake successfully executed the double steal allowing Schrock to score from second base. After a walk to Brison Celek, the Garnet squad would take a one-run lead with Taylor Widener doubling to left field scoring Pankake. The lead would be short-lived though as Kyle Martin led off the top of the sixth inning for Garnet with a solo homer to right field tying the game at 2-2.

Sophomore right-hander Curt Britt pitched 2.2 scoreless innings to lead the Black squad on the mound.

——————————– South Carolina won the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship in 2010 and 2011 at the College World Series. South Carolina has 11 College World Series appearances, including six in the last 12 years. South Carolina is the only school with 200 or more wins in the last four years (2010 to the present) with a 201-70 record, and the Gamecocks own the second-highest win total in the nation in the last 14 years (2000 to the present) with a 669-271 record. South Carolina is one of five schools to appear in the NCAA Regional every season in the last 14 years, including 11 NCAA Super Regional appearances in that span, one of only two schools to accomplish the feat.